Modern Day Trinco
I have written about Trincomalee in the past but feel that I should cover this intriguing coastal town a bit more in detail, touching on the new attractions and sites to do and see while there. Trincomalee (popularly refered to as Trinco) is the largest city in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka and is […]
History of Sigiriya
The romance of Sigiriya, the playboy’s palace in the sky, has provided inspired for many books, plays and even films, with more than one legend to explain its origins. All theories hinge around the cult of King Kasyapa. The Mahavansa records that King Kasyapa (reigned AD 477-495) killed his father, King Dhatusena, by plastering him […]
What to expect in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
In 1846, when Samuel Baker first visited the semi-enclosed valley surrounded by hills on the west and overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the island’s highest peak, he singled it out as an ideal spot for a hill country retreat. The town flourished into resemble the English country side with a 18 hole golf course (that is one […]
Ceylon Tea – The Sri Lankan flavour
It is no wonder that many concur that Sri Lankan tea, with its fine, rich flavour and bright, golden colour, is the best in the world. After textiles, tea remains Sri Lanka’s second biggest export, and you if you have been blessed to traveling through the island you will notice the distinctive cropped bushes all […]
Traveling with Children in Sri Lanka
Children of all ages are widely welcomed and greeted with warmth which is often extended to those accompanying them. Sri Lanka’s beaches and wildlife are especially likely to appeal, and of course a visit to Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. Children can run free and never be a “nuisance” in Sri Lankan society. Sri Lankans are very […]
Wilpattu National Park
In March 2010 a clamor of excitement greeted the reopening of Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka’s largest, oldest and – before the war- most popular wildlife sanctuary. The 131,693 hectare park had been an important historical and archaeological site, as well as home to some of Sri Lanka’s most visible populations of large mammals. The […]
Arankele is one of the Sri Lankan cultural triangle’s best kept secrets, tucked away along a dirt track nestled deep amid thick jungle. The 6th-century cave her mirage lies 24 km (15 miles) north of Kurunegala and the short journey off Dambulla Road is well worth the detour. An austere sect of Vanavasin monks currently […]
Bentota
About a 2 hour drive south of Colombo along the famous Galle Road, is arguably Sri Lanka’s most popular beach resort of Bentota which offer superb swathe of golden sand and a string of luxury resort hotels. Development here has been more muted than its neighboring Beruwala, with hotels laid out at discrete intervals along the beach and […]
Three weeks or longer gives you a chance to explore the sites in greater depth and to get off the beaten track. You could easily spend a week exploring the villages of the south coast, or a few days trekking in the hill country, visiting some of lesser visited ancient sites of Northwest and North […]
PERADENIYA ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS
About 6 km (or 4 miles) from Kandy are the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens (open daily, 7.30am to 4.30pm with an entrance charge), the largest and finest in Sri Lanka. Enclosed in a loop of the Mahaweli Ganga river, the lush 60-hectare (147-acre) gardens are stuffed with a baffling array of Sri Lankan, Asian and international […]